Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Clinton Attacks a Strawman

Bill Clinton made a tedious attack on a strawman during the Democratic National Convention.

The theory of a free market is not about "self-made-men" living in isolation. A market is a community. The free market is about free people who have property rights engaging with the world at large.

A key element of the founder's vision is freedom of association. The free market allows people to own things and choose their associations. A free market is not about isolation.

Communitarians are the ones who seek to impose social controls and associations. Communitarians are the ones who drive out the people who do not conform to the norms of the community. Yes, communitarians love when people gather in the square to admire the virtues of the glorious leader, but that is not much of a community.

The founders sought freedom and discovered a great secret. They discovered that strong individuals make up strong communities.

Conversely, people who start to create strong communities often create top-heavy oppressive communities.

The free market starts with property owning individuals engaged in a market (the community).

Sadly, I fear Clinton's criticism of Mitt Romney may be right. Mitt Romney career jumping from big government to big finance to big business indicates that he might have top-down vision of the free market.

Such a vision might be called "financialism." This is where politically connected players take out huge financial positions with the aim of dominating a market.

For example, The Sports Authority was designed as a vehicle for Kmart to move into the sporting goods sector. Through rapid acquisition the store dominates the market. (Acquisitions include Garts, Oshman's, Sportscastle, Sportmart, Copeland's, etc.).

This game is one where politically connected investors seek to dominate a market or perish. Such competition leads to a world where most perish and the winner takes all.

Effects of Projection

Throughout my entire life, the left has been projecting the false image that the free market is a top down world with business warriors engaged in a blood sport of dominate-or-perish. The game is winner take all with entire markets quickly dominated by just a few tycoons.

I hate the game of projection. One of the effects of projection is that people often become the image projected on them.

The free market is an inherently bottom up affair. A free market is a community-center system in which property owning individuals seek ways to maximize the return their property by associating with others in the market.

The top down approach of "financialism" is diametrically opposed to the free market.

I wanted to write a post that said: "Clinton attacks strawman and finds straw." Unfortunately, since Republicans foolishly nominated a Robber Barron who plays game of the business warrior, I am left with the complex task of explaining that the top heavy economic vision of Bain Capital is not a free market.

Sadly, I think the best hope for America is for people to realize that both parties are corrupt and vote third party.